How to be a Career and Life Limit Breaker

This post is on *geek alert* and although I’m far from being in the league of anime enthusiast, I must profess my love to Dragon Ball. The newest instalment Dragon Ball Super completed its 131 episode run last week and I must admit I feel like I’m going through a break-up ha.

The main character, Goku, is our good hearted protagonist who always surpasses his limits to save his friends and the world against some villain or another. He has an excellent work ethic and trains harder than anyone else (maybe apart from Vegeta, his arch rival and later training partner), is genetically gifted and never gives up. In fact, he actively seeks out stronger opponents all throughout the series, demonstrating excitement at every opportunity of facing someone who is tougher than him.

I can only aspire to become Goku.

A limit breaker is someone who always rises to the occasion. They aren’t immune to failure, however, because Goku has failed many times. But like what Michael Jordan said: “I’ve failed over and over again in my life – and that is why I succeed”, you need to embrace the struggle, learn to accept and even enjoy failure and grow stronger.

I was on call this weekend and there were two patients in our Medical High Dependency Unit who were very unwell and required arterial line insertion to monitor their oxygen levels more closely. I’ve placed quite a few of these before and normally they’re straightforward but these two were for one reason or another just weren’t possible.

Out of the 30 or so A-lines I’ve inserted previously I think I’ve only given up on one of them due to technical difficulties. Despite several attempts on both radial arteries on both patients I just wasn’t having any success. Instead of giving up and asking for help, I decided to be a limit breaker, used the ultrasound machine and managed both lines pretty successfully. I use ultrasonography pretty regularly for chest drain and central line insertion but this was my first (and second) success with incorporating this technique with A-lines too.

Another example is one of my favourite pastimes, weightlifting. I have been lifting heavy weights ever since I became a doctor more than 5 years ago, for the purpose of getting stronger and having an aesthetic body. I’m reasonably strong but certainly not as strong as I’d like to be; I’m also reasonably aesthetic but nowhere near my ideal. Following some introspection it became very obvious to me that lifting weights twice a week was never going to cut it, and unless I removed the excuse of having a demanding job, I was never going to achieve my weightlifting goals.

After making the decision to switch to hitting the gym 6 times a week as well as intake of a high protein diet I’ve been seeing results in and out of the temple. How could anyone have the audacity to think that working out twice a week was enough?! And for almost 6 years as well.

I think one the key ways to become a limit breaker, apart from just doing it, is to make life easier for yourself. If you want to eat healthy, workout daily, learn to play the piano whilst progressing through a demanding career you’re best served automating tasks. For example, it would be worth spending some money on a quality piano teacher who will ensure you don’t develop any bad habits. Having a piano teacher will also keep you accountable, ensuring you attend that class at 7pm instead of playing the Xbox. Eating healthy can be automated by buying ready made healthy food even if it is more expensive. If you have to buy fresh ingredients, prepare them and cook after a long shift then your limited willpower probably won’t last very long. We’re all human after all.

So will you be honest with yourself? How will you break your limits?

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Image from Mahnster Art

https://mahnsterart.deviantart.com/art/Goku-Limit-Breaker-Dragon-Ball-Super-694312692